Cardiovascular disease is one of the main diseases seriously threatening human health. Arrhythmia is a common cardiovascular disease. At present, the antiarrhythmic agents used clinically, such as Quinidine, Lidocaine, Flecainide, Encainide, Propafenone, Propranolol and Anmiodarone, have curative effects upon arrhythmia, but each has various drawbacks. For example, Flecainide, used to prolong the action potential period, has a good effect upon arrhythmia, but is limited in clinical use, especially in the prevention of sudden death caused by ventricular fibrillation, and by the marked side effects of pulmonary fibrosis and thyroid function change. Another agent, Lidocaine, can effectively suppress arrhythmia, but can not effectively prevent ventricular fibrillation, and can not be administered orally.
Novel antiarrhythmic drugs are being developed in order to overcome the defects of the present antiarrhythmic drugs. Fukuda H. et al reported that protoberberine, a wide spread alkaloid, possesses a variety of bioactivities. In particular, berberine, palmatine and berberubine show highly potent cardiovascular activities. The purpose of this invention is to study novel antiarrhythmic drugs with low side-effects and convenient administration, based upon active Chinese herbal medicinal components, such as berberine.